Rob Morris, SM ’09 and PhD ’15, turned personal depression experience into a nonprofit called Koko. The platform grew from his MIT Media Lab research and targets youth mental health by meeting them where they spend time—TikTok, Snapchat, Discord, or AI chat bots. Koko delivers free, research‑backed interventions through partnerships with those services. Its algorithm matches users with appropriate resources in real time.

In collaboration with platforms, Koko provides self‑guided tutorials and anonymous peer support via WhatsApp, Discord, and Telegram. Its website reaches users in nearly 200 countries, allowing young people to access coping tools without professional gatekeeping. An external ethics advisory board reviews content to ensure interventions meet clinical standards. The platform also tracks engagement metrics to refine content effectiveness over time.

Koko’s model leverages existing social channels, reducing friction for teens accustomed to digital communication. By embedding evidence‑based techniques into familiar apps, the service sidesteps stigma and expands reach beyond traditional counseling. Early feedback shows users share brief, supportive messages, creating a peer‑driven safety net that complements formal mental‑health care. Clinicians report that Koko’s brief interventions can reduce symptom severity before therapy begins.